Searching for Forever
by CharmingRaven
Summary: Nina Alvarez is the only daughter of Mayan MC President Marcus Alvarez. She and a dark-eyed Son have a history that could threaten the new truce between the Mayans and the Sons of Anarchy. Will the past stay safely behind them? Happy/OC Season 5(ish) I own nothing of SOA and do not seek to profit from this work.
1. The Party

**Welcome to my third Happy/OC story! If you haven't noticed, he's my favorite. This story is going to be a little different than Burning Desire or Moments Stolen as far as the POV's and Happy's demeanor. This is set around Season 5(ish). Italic font is used for flashbacks. I do hope you give this a try and enjoy what I've decided to share with you! Without further delay...**

**Searching for Forever**

Chapter 1: The Party

It was a terrible idea to go to the party. She could fill an entire page with reasons to avoid it, none of which she could share with her date. He had told her how much he looked forward to blowing off some steam after a hard work week. It was their third date. She liked the way he smiled at her and told her about his day. He was… sweet. She wasn't used to that. So, when he suggested they go to a party, she was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't until the pulled up to the warehouse that she realized how badly the night was going to go.

She regretted everything from her large hoop earrings, to her black crop top, to her tight, shredded blue jeans. It was a new top, she bought it specifically for their date. He gave her a hand out of his car and she immediately felt exposed, like she was wearing nothing at all. Her date smiled and looked her up and down.

"You are beautiful, Nina." He whispered, brushing his lips against her cheek. It was the closest he had come to kissing her. "Are you nervous?"

"No," she said, faking a little cough. "I think I may be coming down with a cold or something."

"Let's get you a drink then," he suggested. She closed her eyes, wondering how that was supposed to help her fake illness. She had hoped he would suggest they not stay long or even leave before ever going inside. Instead, he placed his palm on her bare, lower back and led her towards the door.

Her senses were assaulted with their first steps inside. Music was blaring throughout the building. Cigarette and marijuana smoke thickened the air. Spotlights flooded silver stripper poles and half-naked girls. It was barely ten o'clock and the party was already in full swing. Her date's hand pressed a little harder against her back, urging but not forcing her further inside.

"What would you like?" She blinked, caught off guard by the question. Of course, he wouldn't know her drink of choice. Their first two dates had been dinner and a movie. "Nina?"

"Whiskey sour, please." Nina smiled, trying to relax. He was being a good date. He had complimented her and asked her what she wanted to drink instead of just ordering for her. She didn't want to ruin the date if she could avoid it. There was a chance she wouldn't be recognized. She had cut nearly a foot off of her hair and the lighting was fairly low. They would have a couple of drinks, maybe share a quick dance, and then she would tell him she didn't feel better. Then she could leave.

"Here you go," he said, handing the glass to her. She flashed him a smile and took a sip. "I'm going, to be honest, I was a little nervous about coming here."

"We don't have to stay if you're uncomfortable." She offered sweetly. He shook his head and looked across the crowd. Nina took another drink, telling herself to calm down. He turned to her and asked if she remembered the first time they met. She did. He smiled and reminisced about her father warning him to stay away from her. She chuckled but stopped abruptly.

"Who are you?" Nina hated the way her body still reacted to his voice. His dark eyes bored into her, impatiently waiting for an answer from her date.

"Anthony, we've met a couple of times at the restaurant." He said, offering his hand. The other man's eyes dropped to the extended hand and narrowed slightly before returning to Nina. "This is Nina Alvarez, Marcus Alvarez' daughter."

"I know who she is. Why are you here?" He asked, still looking at Nina. She finished her drink and stood up, feeling unsteady on her heels. His eyes flicked down to her hips and back to her face.

"Your club is good with the Mayans now." Nina cringed at his words, wishing he had chosen nearly anything else to say.

"I don't see a kutte on your back." His dark eyes finally left Nina and fell on her date.

"I'm a friend of the club and she's-"

"I know who she is," he snapped. "Your girlfriend's drink is empty. Go get her another whiskey sour."

Nina watched as her date stepped away, glancing back at her with worried eyes. She shook her head and looked up into the face of the man she'd hoped to avoid that night. He smirked and pulled the toothpick out from between his teeth. He hadn't changed, not that she had expected him to.

"You cut your hair. I like it, shows off your pretty little neck." He took a step forward and brought his hand to her chin, tilting it up. "Never remember it looking so clean, Nina. Alex don't know how to take care of you?"

"Fuck off, Happy. You know that isn't his name." Nina wished her voice had sounded a little stronger but his thumb was still on her chin. She couldn't help but remember the marks his mouth would leave on her neck. "It's been four years. I can date whoever I want."

"You're the one that brought him into my clubhouse, señorita. Did you tell him?" He asked, taking his hand off her chin. She narrowed her eyes.

"No one knows," she said. He nodded just as her date returned with a fresh whiskey sour for her. "Thank you.

"See you around, Nina." Happy said, ignoring the other man. She ground her teeth together and watched him walk away.

"That guy is a dick." Nina looked away from the back of Happy's kutte and looked at her date. She nodded and tried to tear her mind away from Happy. He had disappeared into the crowd but she knew his eyes would still be on her. Those dark, menacing eyes were the first thing that drew her to him five years ago.

* * *

_Nina was working the night shift at a small diner just off of campus. There was only one, regular customer at the bar so she took advantage of the downtime and cracked open a book she needed to read for her literature class. She was two chapters in when a motorcycle pulled onto the parking lot. She glanced up and watched him swing his leg over and stand up. He didn't sit at the bar like most single diners would. Instead, he picked a corner booth and sat with his back to the wall. It reminded her of her father._

_She carried a menu and a glass of water over to the man, storing her book in the pocket of her apron that normally held her order pad. He took the water and guzzled it down quickly. Her eyes widened, curious why he was acting like he had just crossed the Sahara on his Harley Davidson. She let him look at the menu as she went to fetch the pitcher to refill his glass._

_"__Thanks." He said as she filled the glass. She nodded and watched him empty it again._

_"__I'll just leave this here. Do you want some food to go with that?" She knew the cook was watching her closely but she wasn't afraid of the man. She had grown up in a motorcycle club, he didn't scare her._

_"__You don't have pancakes do you?" He asked, the menu untouched in front of him. She smiled and turned it over to the back._

_"__I think questions like that is why restaurants have menus." Nina teased. He raised his eyes to her face. Her cheeks warmed at the intensity. "Short stack or long? I mean, tall."_

_"__We still talking about pancakes?" He smirked. Her cheeks were outright burning from the embarrassment of her slip up to his question. "Three pancakes and an order of fried eggs."_

_"__Got it." She walked away quickly, kicking herself for being so intimidated by him. It wasn't his tattoos or bad boy persona. It was his eyes and the way he seemed to look right into her soul. It was cliche but it was the only way she knew to describe it. She tried to read more of her book as the cook made his order but she couldn't concentrate. Every time she glanced up, his dark eyes were looking at her._

_"__What are you reading?" He asked as she sat his pancakes and eggs in front of him. She refilled his water and picked up the empty pitcher._

_"__The Road," she answered, assuming he was just trying to make conversation. He nodded and poured an unhealthy amount of syrup on his pancakes._

_"__McCarthy?" Nina blinked, surprised that he was familiar with it. She felt guilty for judging him so quickly. Just because he was attractive, tattooed and rode a motorcycle didn't mean he couldn't be well read. She nodded. "It's pretty good. No Country for Old Men is a little less depressing."_

_"__I'm just trying to get through it for an exam. It's not really my genre." Nina admitted. He cut four diagonal lines into his pancakes, creating symmetrical, bite-sized triangles. "I'll let you enjoy your dinner."_

_"__It's breakfast," he said before stabbing a triangle of pancake and pushing it into his mouth. She smirked and shook her head._

_"__It's almost midnight. It's dinner." She watched him shake his head as he chewed. "Unless it's your first meal, it's dinner."_

_"__It is. Mind getting me a coffee?" He asked after swallowing. She appreciated his table manners, most men that came into the dinner talked at her with their mouths full. Nina returned with a cup of coffee and noticed that he was eating the pancakes in a clockwise rotation. She wondered if it was intentional. "You can sit down, ya know."_

_"__I have another customer. I don't want him to think I'm choosing favorites. It'll hurt my tips." Nina laughed. He shook his head with a smile and she returned to the bar to check on Larry. He was sound asleep._

_Nina tried again to read further into her book. She needed to do well in her class so she could keep her scholarship. Her grades for the previous semester had suffered after a dramatic break-up and she needed to focus._

_"__If I sit here while you eat will you leave sooner? I need to finish this by Friday." Nina said, sliding into the seat across from her conscious customer. He smirked and took a drink of his coffee. "What's your name?"_

_"__Happy," he said. Nina's brow raised. "My ma's choice, not mine. Nina your real name?"_

_"__What?" He pointed to her chest. She let out a little laugh and looked back up at him with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, it is."_

_Happy wasn't wearing his kutte that night. It wasn't until his sixth late night visit to the diner that she learned he was a Son. It wasn't until six months later that she learned he had killed a man the night she met him._

* * *

She invited her date inside when they pulled into her apartment complex. He eagerly parked the car and hurried around to the passenger side to open her door. She appreciated the gesture. He was being a gentleman. Nina unlocked the door and stepped inside, flipping the living room light on. He followed her and looked around as she took her heels off.

"I like this picture." He said, motioning to the only photo of herself in the apartment. She took his hand and placed it on her hip. His chest started rising and falling rapidly. "Are you sure about this?"

"Mhmm." She kissed him and waited for him to return the kiss. When he didn't move his lips, she pulled back with a smile. "This is the part where you kiss me back."

"Can I ask you something first?" He rubbed his thumb over her hip. She nodded and pouted her lips a little, encouraging him to kiss her more and talk less. He hesitated for a minute and kissed her instead of asking a question. The kiss wasn't bad but she could tell neither of them was feeling anything. He pulled back, eyes closed. "Did you and that guy from the party date?"

"No. We didn't date." She wasn't completely lying. Happy never once took her on an actual date. Even if he had, she couldn't tell him that. She couldn't tell anyone what happened between them. It was well before the truce and too much bad shit had happened between the clubs during that time. They promised to never tell anyone about their time together. It was the only promise she could remember him keeping. She cleared her throat and rubbed at her neck. "Maybe you should go. My throat feels a little scratchy. I don't want to get you sick."

"Alright. I had fun tonight," he said. She could tell he was lying but smiled and nodded in agreement anyway. Nina watched him walk down to the parking lot and out to his car, half expecting Happy to come out of nowhere and take his head off. When he safely navigated his way out to the main road, she retreated to her living room.

...

**A/N**: So? What do you think? In my mind, Nina looks most like Demi Lovato circa Confident album. Please review so I know how you're feeling about this so far.


	2. Good Morning

**A/N: Thank you so much for the attention you've shown this story so far. I appreciate it! **

**Chapter 2**

**Good Morning**

Nina walked into her classroom and sat her satchel on the desk. It was a typical Monday: she barely slept all weekend and morning traffic had her feeling irritable. Luckily, she had twenty minutes before class started. That was twenty minutes to figure out how to clear her head and down her extra-large coffee. At the beginning of the school year, she had made a goal to be fairer to her students; snapping at them because of a bad weekend or a car that cut her off on the highway wouldn't accomplish that.

"Morning, Miss A," a student said, walking in and waving towards her. She still had ten minutes, so she raised her cup of coffee in silent welcome. He sat in his normal seat towards the back of the classroom and started looking at something on his cellphone. She was thankful that he'd taken their discussion about inappropriate behavior to heart. During the first month of school, he had openly stared at her chest and even started making inappropriate comments before or after class. It was something she knew she might have to deal with as a younger woman teaching Grade 12. Still, it was frustrating.

"Miss A, can I talk to you about my paper?" A girl asked, rushing into the room right before the late bell rang. Nina closed the classroom door and looked back at her student. "I have it written but I didn't have time to proofread and edit it."

"Turn in what you have. As long as you actually have a complete paper, I'll let you proofread and edit it. Have it to me by Friday and I'll only deduct five points," Nina said. The girl was usually good about turning assignments in on time and had done well on the last exam. She smiled and hurried to her seat.

Nina was able to relax by lunch. She walked into the teacher's lounge and grabbed her salad before walking out to her normal picnic table. Her friend and colleague Stephanie was already there waiting for her. The two women were so polar opposite that their friendship caught some people off guard. It even took them a year to accept one another and start speaking outside of the school. At first, Nina thought that Stephanie's privileged upbringing had made her snobby and out of touch with the lower income students they taught. After getting to know her, it was obvious how wrong those assumptions had been. Stephanie was kind and caring, routinely going above and beyond for the most troubled teens.

"You're going to get sunburnt out here, Steph." Nina pulled her sunglasses out of her bag and pushed them on. Stephanie had fair skin and light-red hair. She had managed to get sunburnt on their last trip to the farmer's market, despite the overcast weather. "How was your weekend?"

"Okay. I had a lot of heartburn and spent most of the day yesterday in bed grading papers." Stephanie shrugged, rubbing her protruding baby bump. "What about you? Did you go out with Anthony Saturday?"

"Yeah, I did but I don't think he'll want a fourth date." Nina paused and tried to decide how to phrase her next sentence. "We ran into an ex-boyfriend of mine."

"Who?" Stephanie's eyes widened. Nina shook her head and tried to wave it off with a smile. "A recent ex?"

"No, no. Just some guy from college." Nina took a large bite of her salad to delay continuing. Stephanie tore a piece of bread off her sandwich and popped it into her mouth. "We were never really serious."

"Then why would it bother Anthony?" Stephanie asked with a frown. Nina just shrugged, choosing not to elaborate on the complexities of her history with Happy and how it had effectively ended things with Anthony. If she was honest, there wasn't much chemistry to begin with. He was kind and nice to her but she didn't feel any physical attraction towards him. "Well, it's his loss. Is this a bad time to ask if you're still going to make it to the baby shower Saturday?"

"Of course I'll be there! It's been on my calendar for months," Nina said with a smile. She and Stephanie started discussing the guest list and baby shower games as they finished their lunch. Nina's mind was finally free of the run-in with Happy and her breakup with Anthony if she could even call it that. She spent the rest of the day in her normal routine, teaching classes and grading papers in between. As much as she loved her career in teaching, she tried to limit the amount of work she took home. Sometimes that meant getting to the school early or staying late but she didn't mind. She needed that separation between work and personal time.

"Nina, why weren't you at family dinner yesterday?" Her father didn't even say hello when she answered the phone. He leaped right into criticism. "Your mother was very upset."

"I told her last week that I had a busy weekend and wouldn't make it to dinner. I'm fine though, thanks for asking." She bit back, resenting his callous attitude. He sighed and she heard motorcycles starting up in the background. "Do you need to go?"

"No," he said. "How was your date with Anthony Saturday night?"

"Not great. I think we're better off friends." She was suspicious about why he was asking about the date. He never showed any interest in her dating life before, aside from forbidding her from dating any club members or rival club members. "Why?"

"I heard you went to a Son's party. Jose saw you leaving and said you looked upset. Did Anthony hurt you?" She could hear the anger rising in his voice as she unlocked her apartment door. "Why did he take you there?"

"Dad, I don't know why. He said he had a rough week at work and wanted to unwind. I guess he may have heard about the party from Jose or Joe. He didn't hurt me. I just didn't feel like partying," she lied. She loved going to parties and letting loose. It was one of the reasons she avoided any social media. She didn't need people looking into her private life and it jeopardizing her career. Few people outside of her family even knew that her father was affiliated with a motorcycle club. It was a benefit of having a common Hispanic surname and living outside of Oakland. "I'm just getting home. I'll make sure to be there this Sunday, okay?"

"Okay, chica. Call your mother. You know she worries," Marcus said. Nina agreed to call her and dropped the phone and her satchel onto the couch. She would call her mother later or possibly the next day but at that moment, she just wanted a hot bath and a glass of wine.

Nina woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. She had a solid night of sleep and managed to wake up a few minutes before her alarm clock, something she couldn't remember doing in years. The sun was just starting to come up as she poured a cup of coffee and stepped out onto her balcony. It was part of her morning ritual when she wasn't running late; she made her coffee at home and drank a cup while checking her work email. Three sips into her coffee, she heard her cellphone ringing from her bedroom.

"Hello?" Nina's heart rate had started climbing on her way to answer the call. It was before seven in the morning, most people she knew were still sound asleep. When the screen showed 'Restricted' for the number, she got nervous. She knew most of the men in her father's club kept throw-away phones. Had something happened to him?

"Good morning," he said with a yawn in his gravelly voice. She scowled and ended the call, uninterested in playing Happy's games when her day had gotten off to such a good start. She wasn't sure how he had gotten her phone number; she had changed it months after they parted ways. Her phone rang again and she pressed the ignore button. She turned the offensive device off and returned to her cup of coffee on the balcony.

After the school day ended, Nina drove to the shopping mall and had the gentleman at the wireless store change her cellphone number. It cost her twenty-five dollars but it was worth it to avoid talking to Happy. A small part of her also took satisfaction in knowing that he would be frustrated by her action. She knew it was all a game to him. Eventually, he would get bored and leave her alone.

* * *

Nina finished styling her hair and put the last touches on her mascara and lipstick. She did her best to keep her look light and natural. Stephanie's baby shower was at her family's church, so she didn't want to overdo it. Her royal blue dress was a modest cut that stopped just above her knees. It was a stark contrast to her outfit from the previous weekend. She checked her watch and started to hurry, knowing there was a good chance of traffic between her apartment and the church.

"Nina! You look amazing," Stephanie said, pulling her into a hug. "If I ever lose this baby fat, I'm going to ask to borrow that dress."

"Please, no one will be able to tell you had a baby by the time you leave the hospital," Nina laughed. Stephanie was always slender and she only seemed to gain weight in her breasts and stomach during her pregnancy. Nina, on the other hand, had to watch everything she ate and spend at least four hours a week in the gym. She had learned to love her curves back in high school but she still envied Stephanie's ability to stay small without effort.

"Mom," Stephanie said, catching the arm of an older woman in a smart, tweed dress and blazer. "This is my friend, Nina. Nina, this is my mother, Penney."

"Nina, hello. Stephanie has told me what a good friend you are. You teach English at Stockton High School?" Penney asked, shaking Nina's hand. Nina couldn't help but notice how dainty her handshake was. Her grandmother had a stronger handshake on her deathbed. Nina assumed it had a lot to do with their different social classes.

"Yes, I do. My classroom is just down the hall from Stephanie's. Are you excited about becoming a grandmother?" Nina asked, walking further into the building. Everything was so pink and shimmery. It reminded her of her quinceanera. Penney expressed how much she and her husband were looking forward to the baby, they even had a nursery set up in their house for visits and babysitting.

"Do you have any children, Nina?" Penney asked, following her over to the guest book. Nina shook her head as she signed her name.

"No, but I have a few nieces and nephews. I'm fairly close with my extended family, so I get plenty of time with little ones," Nina explained. Penney nodded and put her hand on Nina's shoulder.

"Don't worry, you're still young." Nina forced a smile. She wasn't worried. She wasn't even sure if she wanted kids. "Oh, my sister is finally here. Please excuse me."

Nina relaxed a little when Penney walked away. Nina didn't know many people and Stephanie was closer to the doors, greeting her other friends and family as they arrived. She dropped her gift off at the table that was overflowing with presents and headed to an empty table. Soon, there were so many people filling tables that she was joined by a couple of other teachers from Stockton High and one of Stephanie's college friends.

"My feet are killing me," Stephanie said, sitting down next to Nina with a plate of cake. "I should have worn flats."

"I tried to tell you, Mama." Nina laughed as the guest of honor rolled her eyes. "Your daughter isn't going to need clothes until she's walking."

"I know! There's no way she's going to wear all of those." Stephanie looked over at the stacks of outfits that she had opened along with diapers, toys, a stroller, and other baby necessities. "Thank you so much for the diaper bag. I was so worried about carrying something with elephants or balloons on it."

"You're welcome. My cousin used one from that company until her daughter was out of pull-ups," Nina said. She remembered Stephanie seeing the leather diaper bag on one of their shopping trips in Sacramento and she had been saving up to buy it for months. "I'm going to head home if it won't break your heart. I have to catch up on laundry."

"My heart is going to shatter." Stephanie teased. "Isn't Sunday your usual laundry and cleaning day?"

"It is but I haven't been to a Sunday dinner at my parents' in a month. I promised my father I would be there tomorrow," Nina sighed. She didn't have anything against dinner with her family, she just didn't look forward to the drive to Oakland and back. "Get some rest tomorrow. If you need help organizing all things baby or anything, I should be back tomorrow night."

"Thank you for coming!" Stephanie hugged Nina's neck and gave her cheek a quick kiss. Nina said goodbye to a few people, then left for home. Once there, she changed into a pair of sweat pants and the first clean t-shirt she could find. She loaded the washing machine with towels and started sorting the rest of her clothes into light, dark and white clothes.

Nina didn't realize what shirt she was wearing until she began cleaning her bathroom mirror. She was so behind with laundry that she made it to the bottom of her dresser drawer where she kept the only memento of her relationship with Happy. It was his black t-shirt with 'Reaper Crew' printed across the chest. Her fingers ran across the screen printing, remembering the first time she wore it.

* * *

_Nina rolled over to face Happy with a smile. He was sound asleep in her bed with his arm around her naked waist. It was the first time he actually slept in her bed and she knew it wasn't going to last long. He never spent the night. So, Nina savored the moment and watched him sleep peacefully._

_"__Why are you staring at me?" Happy asked, startling Nina. His eyes were still closed and he didn't give her any clue that he was awake until he spoke. She smiled and scooted a little closer to him. "Ready for another go already?"_

_"__No. I'm just a little cold," Nina whispered, hoping he would take the hint and hold her a little tighter. He just grunted and rolled over. She was surprised when he handed her his shirt off the floor. "This isn't really what I had in mind."_

_"__Can't sleep with your tits out." Happy's eyes had opened and were focused on her chest. She felt her cheeks redden. "Put it on and go to sleep or climb on and I'll warm you up."_

_"__Are you staying the night?" She asked, pulling the shirt over her head. He grunted and pulled her to his chest. Nina took that as a yes. She rolled over to her right side and pressed her back against his chest. His hand found its way back to her hip and his breathing evened back out. _

_When Nina woke up, Happy was gone. She was still wearing his shirt._

* * *

Nina shook her head and pulled the shirt off. As she held it in her hands, she tried to decide on her next move. She considered the easy route of just throwing it in the garbage. She also considered burning it. Instead, she folded it up and put it back in the bottom of her dresser. There was no easy explanation as to why she kept it but getting rid of it made her feel a little hollow. She remembered that feeling all too well. If keeping a stupid t-shirt would stop her from feeling like a shell, she'd let it stay in the bottom of her drawer for a couple more years.

"You need to get a grip," Nina said to herself as she opened the washing machine and moved the wet clothes over to the dryer. "You've been over him for years. Seeing him doesn't change that."

**a/n: This is my desperate request for reviews again! I hope you're still enjoying this, even without actual interaction with SOA this chapter. I hope to update soon!**


	3. Nothing

**Chapter 3**

**Nothing**

Nina pulled into the driveway of her childhood home and immediately noticed the absence of her father's motorcycle. There was roughly an hour until dinner but there was a good possibility he wouldn't make it if he wasn't already there. She turned the car off and barely had her seatbelt unbuckled before her niece Lena ran outside and straight for her car. Nina smiled and hurried to scoop her up in a tight hug. Lena squealed happily and planted a large, wet kiss on Nina's temple.

"Nina! Nina! Guess what!" Lena giggled, trying to squirm away from Nina's tickling. Nina stopped and let the little girl tell her whatever news she had found so exciting. "I'm going to be a big sister!"

"Oh," Nina's heart sank a little. "That's great, Lena. You'll be a great big sister. Are your mom and abuelita inside?"

"Mhmm. Tito was here but he left," Lena divulged. Nina opened the screened door and let Lena run ahead of her. "Abuelita! Nina is here!"

Nina walked into the kitchen and immediately answered some of her own questions that she'd had about her father's absence and Lena's news. Her mother was stirring a large pot of beans and staring at the crucifix about the stove. Her sister-in-law was sitting at the table with Nina's eight-year-old nephew. It seemed like Casey had just broken the news about her pregnancy. That would explain why her father wasn't there and why her mother was pestering a pot of beans. Nina wasn't too sure how she felt about the pregnancy either.

"Mama, I think the beans are stirred," Nina said, gently putting her hand on her mother's shoulder. The stirring stopped. When she turned around, Nina's chest tightened. Her mother wasn't crying but her eyes were full of tears. Nina pulled her into a hug. "Don't cry."

"I'm sorry, maybe I should go," Casey said. Nina saw that she was frowning, no doubt on the verge of tears as well.

"Lena, will you help abuelita finish dinner?" Nina asked sweetly. Lena nodded and hurried to the stove, announcing that she was reporting for duty. Nina turned to Casey and nodded towards the back door. "Miguel, make sure these two don't burn the kitchen down, would ya?"

"Okay." Her nephew said and Nina and Casey walked out onto the back porch. Casey's tears had started rolling down her cheeks. She tried to turn away and hide, but Nina caught her arm. The news about the new baby was hard to accept, Nina couldn't deny that, but Casey was still family. Even after Samuel died, Nina never stopped seeing her widowed sister-in-law as family.

"Casey, you've been dating Jose for what, a year and a half?" Nina asked. Casey nodded slowly. "No one can blame you for moving on. You still have a life to live and two adorable kids to raise. It took them a little time to accept you dating. It will just take some time to accept that you're having a baby with someone else."

"You seem okay," Casey said, rubbing the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. Nina chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm just really good at bottling up my emotions. Honestly, though, I am happy for you. It just brings up some memories of Sam, okay?" Nina knew Casey didn't like being hugged, so she just offered her a smile. "How far along are you?"

"Seven weeks. I didn't feel right keeping it from you all." Casey said, her tears stopping. "Jose is worried your dad is going to be mad at him."

"Dad has a habit of thinking with his heart. He'll come around." Nina assured her. She wasn't sure how long it would take but eventually, her father would come to terms with it.

"Hey, Jose said you were at an S.O.A party." Casey said, catching Nina before she turned to go back inside. "He said one of them was giving you a hard time."

"Nah, just some drunk Son acting like any other drunk MC member," Nina said. Casey twisted her mouth but didn't ask any other questions about it.

After dinner, Nina headed to the clubhouse. Her father never showed up and there was little doubt where he could be found. She spotted his motorcycle parked alongside several others. A couple of people called out greetings as Nina carried a plate of leftovers inside. She found her father sitting at the bar with a bottle of beer.

"This will probably go pretty well with that," she said, placing the food in front of him. He strummed his fingers on the bar top and glanced over at her. "I'm not here to make you talk about it."

"Good," he said with a nod. Nina turned and looked around the bar. She noticed it was a little more crowded than it usually was on a Sunday night. "We have some issues to vote on tonight."

"Dangerous issues?" She asked, noticing how his scowl deepened. Marcus did his best to keep his wife and daughter in the dark about club business. He always said it was for their protection. Nina hated that excuse. He didn't answer her question. Instead, he stood up and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you for bringing me dinner, Nina. I'm sorry I wasn't there tonight." Her father apologized rarely. Nina sighed and gave him a hug, seeing herself out as a few more men walked inside. She sadly recalled the days when Samuel would run into the clubhouse, always late for anything that wasn't a party or a Sunday dinner.

* * *

Nina was exhausted. It was only Thursday and she felt like the week was never-ending. Her students had standardized tests coming up, which meant more pressure from the administration. She also had to submit her lesson plans for the next semester by the end of the following week. It was a bad week for no sleep but she hadn't slept more than four hours a night since Sunday's family dinner.

"Hello?" She turned off the shower, almost certain she heard the front door open and close. Her hair was full of shampoo but she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her torso. Tiptoeing out of the bathroom, she carefully opened the drawer of her nightstand and grabbed her revolver. Her heart started racing and she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. "I have a gun! I will use it!"

"Why else would you have one?" Happy asked. She relaxed at the sound of his voice. He wasn't someone she was in any mood to deal with, but at least he wasn't some rapist or burglar. She looked down at the gray towel wrapped around her and sighed. Of all the times for him to break into her apartment.

"I'm finishing my shower. You need to be gone by the time I get out or I'll shoot you." Nina called out, locking her bedroom door, then her bathroom door. She knew he could easily pick the locks but at least she tried. Her previously relaxing shower was ruined.

"Looking for this?" Happy held up her revolver in one hand and the six bullets that had been loaded into it in his other hand. She glared at him. He had entered her bedroom during her shower, taken the gun and locked the door back before going into her kitchen and helping himself to a beer. "You wouldn't have used it. Stop giving me that look."

"I've had a bad week. Could you leave and stop making it worse?" Nina asked. She was keeping her distance from him. He was sitting on her couch and she was standing at the beginning of the hallway. She watched him reload the revolver slowly and place it on the coffee table beside his stolen beer. "What are you doing here?"

"Bad week." He said, standing up. She moved her right foot back, ready to retreat down the hall. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I'm sure you've had a couple of bad weeks since we broke up. Do whatever it is you've done to make yourself feel better before but get out of my house." Nina said. Happy stepped towards her. She stepped back. "Stop."

"We lost a brother." Happy said. Nina's resolve started to weaken. Nina bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. She took a moment to gather herself.

"I'm sorry for your loss but you can't be here." She meant to tell him to leave but the word got stuck in her throat. He took another step towards her. She couldn't move. "Please."

"You've missed a couple of birthdays." Happy said with a small upturn to the corner of his mouth. Nina sighed, clearly recalling the promise she'd made to him on his thirty-first birthday. He took another step towards her and her shoulders fell.

"I also broke up with you. The birthday sex agreement ended that day, Happy." Nina wished she could honestly say she hadn't missed him at times. She also wished that she had never found out about all the other women he'd been with while they were together. "I'm sure there are plenty of women at the clubhouse that can take care of your needs. Isn't that where you used to find them?"

"Nina," he said, taking another step towards her. "We've both had shit weeks. You know I can take your mind off it. Just let me."

Nina sat up board straight in her bed. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. It was a dream or maybe some fucked up nightmare. She wasn't sure which but it felt too real. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back and hit the pillow. Her body had betrayed her and yearned for him, even in her sleep. She rolled over and dug around in her nightstand, ignoring her revolver.

"Who needs a man?" Nina thought as she turned the vibrator on. She tried to clear her mind and just focus on the feeling of her trusty companion. Unfortunately, it just didn't compare to what her body seemed to be longing for. Frustrated, she turned it off and tossed it away. "Fuck this."

* * *

Stephanie blinked after Nina proposed her reality-based hypothetical question. She wished she could just tell her best friend everything about her family and her failed relationship with Happy. Instead, she used examples from Romeo and Juliet and Westside Story. It felt cheesy but it was easier than giving her bits and pieces of her twisted situation with two rival motorcycle clubs.

"Let me get this straight. Juliet or Maria broke up with Romeo or Tony and ran into him years later while there was a treaty between their families or gangs?" Stephanie looked at Nina for clarification. Nina nodded. "Right. So, Juliet then has a dream about Romeo, even though she says she's over him?"

"Yeah and Romeo isn't all Shakespearean, he a callous prick most of the time and cheated on Juliet when he went on um trips with his family." Nina was tripping over her own made up story. She sighed and Stephanie chuckled under her breath. Nina frowned up at her.

"Okay. Well, I think there's a reason Juliet is dreaming about Romeo. If nothing else, she should talk to Romeo. Either they've both matured and can work things out or Juliet can get closure. Time changes people. Maria may be overthinking about a version of Tony that doesn't even exist anymore. He could be better or worse. Not knowing is just going to continue keeping you up at night. I mean, Juliet." Stephanie smirked. Nina took a deep, chest filling breath and laughed. "To think I've been paying extra for HBO when my own best friend has all this drama she could be sharing for free."

"For shame," Nina laughed. They cleaned up their picnic table and headed back inside for the second half of the school day. "Hey, Steph?"

"Yeah?" She paused at her classroom door. Nina felt a wave of guilt for not being more honest with her.

"Thanks," Nina said. Stephanie smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Nina put everything they'd talked about in the back of her mind so she could focus on her students' test prep lessons. She had plenty of time to think about their conversation after school. Once her class was full and the last bell rang, she closed the door. "Who feels ready for the exams next week?"

The majority of the class didn't raise their hand, so Nina jumped right into the lesson.

* * *

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Nina slammed her car door and stormed past the motorcycle parked in her assigned space. It was no secret who the bike belonged to; he had large, custom reapers painted on the tank and a large anarchy symbol on the windscreen. Since he wasn't sitting on his prized possession or standing around outside, she assumed he had let himself inside her apartment. She tapped her thumb on the leather strap of her satchel, heavily considering getting in her car and driving off.

"Nightmares really do come true," Nina fumed. Happy was sitting on her couch watching some cartoon. He smirked and pressed the power button on her remote control. "You understand breaking and entering is illegal."

"I didn't break anything but yeah, I do. Got a couple of those charges on my rap sheet," he said. She rolled her eyes and tossed the front door closed, convinced he wasn't planning on leaving yet. He leaned back and rested his large hands on his thighs. He had his normal combat knife hanging off his belt and she could almost guarantee he had at least one gun somewhere on him. "Not gonna ask me why I'm here?"

"Let me guess, you were in the area?" She snapped. He smirked again, hitting a nerve. She refused to react. That was what he always wanted, a reaction. "I've had a long week. Do you think you could be a slightly less annoying asshole?"

"That was mean," he said. He pushed the toothpick in the corner of his mouth up and down and stared at her. She folded her arms across her chest, careful not to squeeze so tight that it would push her boobs up and give him a show. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He wasn't my boyfriend. We were on a date." Nina didn't see a point in lying to him. He had an annoying way of finding things out, so he probably already knew they weren't an item. "Is that all you wanted? To know if I'm seeing someone?"

"No," he stated simply. Nina sighed and let her satchel slide down her arm and drop to the floor softly. Happy's eyes followed her as she crossed the living room and walked into the kitchen. With a wall between them, she took the opportunity to have a little fit. She stared up at the ceiling, quietly asking why she had to go to that party. Her fists clenched, longing for the ability to go back to pretending he never existed.

"You know I understand Spanish," Happy said, startling her. She realized she had been whispering to herself and hadn't heard him walk into the kitchen. Her hands flew up as she turned away from the cabinets and faced him.

"Yeah, but I don't understand why you're here. I'm sorry I came to the party, okay? It won't happen again." Nina was close to frustrated tears and it only upset her more. "Just go back to your crowbutts and leave me alone. Damnit, what's funny!?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head and regaining his composure. "You don't have to apologize for being at the party, Nina."

"Then what? Why are you bothering me after all this time?" She asked, barely able to contain her tears. He stepped towards her, causing her chest and throat to tighten.

"Seeing you with another guy pissed me off," he said with a sigh. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head.

"How do you think I felt when you cheated on me?" A tear rolled down her cheek and she smacked it away. He stepped closer and tears started falling faster. She tried to push him away as his arms wrapped around her, pinning her to his chest. "I hate you."

"Look me in the eyes and say that," he said, loosening his grip on her slightly. She pulled back and looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face. It felt like his dark eyes could see right through her. "You hate me?"

"I…I should. You never gave a damn about how your cheating made me feel." Nina pushed her palms against his chest, trying to distance herself away from him. The smell of leather and his unfiltered cigarettes were too much. There were too many memories.

"I always gave a damn about you," he said, letting her go. She took a step back, running into the cabinets. "I'm sorry, is that what you want to hear?"

"Not if you don't mean it," Nina said, losing the strength behind her voice. She had longed to hear those words from him. So many nights after she broke up with him, she would lay awake in bed just wishing he would apologize. "It doesn't fix anything."

"What would?" She wasn't expecting that question. He tilted her chin up, just like he did at the party. Nina couldn't look at him. She stepped to the side, freeing herself from him. She walked into the living room, hyper-aware of his presence behind her. He stopped by the television and she continued to the door. Opening it, she looked back at him.

"Nothing," she whispered.

* * *

**A/N**

It seems people like this, which is great because I love writing it! I do plan on writing longer chapters once we get further into the story in my head, I just need to break these up for now (mostly for dramatic effect). Thank you to each member and guest that has taken the time to write a review! Trust me, it really helps with motivation! I also decided to try a dream scene in this chapter instead of a flashback, what did you think?


	4. Goosebumps

**Chapter 4**

**Goosebumps**

* * *

Happy shook his head stubbornly as Nina told him to get out of her apartment. She threatened to call the police and he rolled his eyes. She threatened to shoot him and he tapped his chest, telling her to give it her best shot. She finally threatened to call her father and he took a step towards the door. It still didn't work. He tore her away from the door and closed it, flipping the deadbolt to lock. Nina scoffed and shoved his arm, barely moving him an inch.

"You want to hurt me? Go ahead. Punch me, kick me, whatever makes you feel better but I'm not leaving," Happy growled. She shoved him again. When he smirked, she realized she was playing right into his hand. He wanted her to lash out. He wanted to get her so worked up that he could catch her off guard. She twisted her mouth and turned her back on him. He watched her as she grabbed her satchel off the floor and walked over to the couch.

Nina pulled out a stack of papers that she needed to grade over the weekend. She had planned on tackling it Sunday night or early Monday morning. Instead, she decided to use her time stuck in her apartment with her stubborn ex wisely. His eyes were watching her closely, she could practically feel them on her skin. She didn't pay him any attention. Instead, she circled errors, made notes about content and marked grades at the top left corners of her student's work. After the fourth paper, he sat down at the opposite end of the couch and turned the television back on. She ignored it, knowing he was trying to get her attention again. It was an old trick and she wasn't falling for it.

* * *

_Nina sat cross-legged on the couch, text book in her lap. She was cramming for her final exam in Physics, a subject she despised. It was her last science course of her college career. She just had two more semesters and she would graduate with two bachelor degrees and a license to teach in the state of California. It was the only thing she ever wanted to be growing up, well, once her mother told her she couldn't be an actual princess as a career. That had been such a let down._

"_Can you close the book for ten minutes, Nina?" Happy asked, tossing her copy of Hamlet on the coffee table after reading a few pages. She shook her head, refusing to even take her eyes off the text. He had spent the night again, something he seemed to be doing more frequently since he had gone 'Nomad'. She didn't mind. She enjoyed getting to spend more time with him. "I could lay my bike out on the way to Charming and die. You'd regret ignoring me."_

"_I would be sad, after my final," Nina teased. Happy sighed and turned her television on. She tried to ignore it. The noise normally distracted her but she was determined not to make him feel unwelcome. She knew it wasn't fun watching someone study. He started flipping through the channels and she stuck the end of her pencil between her teeth, biting down to keep from snapping at him. The channels started flipping even faster. She slammed the book shut and threw her pencil at him. "Damnit!"_

"_I was watching that," Happy laughed after she turned the television off. She shook her head. "What?"_

"_You can be an annoying asshole," she growled. He smirked and took her hand, pulling her to him. She sighed and sat on his lap, straddling him with her knees on either side of his waist. "I need to study."_

"_You're smart. It'll be okay." He kissed her lips gently, asking for her forgiveness and permission to continue being a distraction. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss. "You still mad?"_

"_A little," she admitted. He smiled and pushed her hair out of her face. "I-uh-I'm hungry."_

"_We just ate," he countered. She bit her lip, scrambling for something else to say. It wasn't the first time she almost told him that she loved him. They had been together for almost a year but she was terrified of saying it. He was eight years older than her and an outlaw biker, he didn't want to hear that from her. His hand came up to her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. "What were you going to say?"_

* * *

"You really gave this an 85? Its a load of bullshit," Happy said, tossing the paper onto her pile of ungraded papers. She picked it up with a scowl and moved it back to the graded pile. "Why are you even teaching about that wizard book?"

"It's called Harry Potter. The school board wanted to bring in some more modern, relatable literature for the kids. They thought it would help motivate them to read and do the school-work associated with it," Nina explained, adding another paper to the graded pile. Happy snatched it up and started skimming it. She watched his eyes roll. "What?"

"Harry Potter is the hero because he has a good heart and always wants to do the right thing," Happy read. He tossed the paper on the graded pile and shook his head. "I could write a better fucking paper from the movie."

"She's in ninth grade and has been through a lot recently, asshole." Nina agreed that it wasn't the most beautifully composed paper but she also knew the young girl had been shuffled through the foster system a lot in the past year. "You're welcome to leave if this is boring you."

"Nah, I got nowhere to be," he said, kicking his heels up on the coffee table. He glanced towards Nina, catching the daggers from her eyes. He took his feet off the table and started looking for something else to watch on the t.v. Nina continued grading papers until she was through the whole stack. By that time, Happy was focused on the movie, Top Gun. When a commercial came on, he looked over at her. "You hungry?"

"Oh my god! What is your problem? I broke it off with you over four years ago! You can't just waltz back into my life and act like we're best friends or some shit. Get out!" Nina's voice had started getting louder. Without the distraction of work, she was more bothered by his continued presence. He muted the television commercials and turned towards her.

"Why didn't you fail that ninth grader's paper?" He asked. She blinked and shook her head.

"What?"

"The one about Harry whatever having a good heart. Why didn't you fail that kid's paper?" Happy clarified.

"I told you. She's been through a lot recently. She's making an effort." Nina regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She gave him exactly what he wanted, ammunition for his argument.

"Exactly," he said, unmuting the television as the movie came back on. "You can tell me if you're hungry and we can eat or you can keep acting pissed off."

"I'm not acting," Nina spat, looking at the television to avoid looking at him. After another commercial break, she recognized the scene coming up in the movie. She lunged for the remote and turned it off quickly, refusing to watch a sad scene with him. She had a bad habit of crying during sad movies. "I'm going to get something to eat."

"Let's go," he said, motioning towards the door. She rolled her eyes. "Stop being stubborn and let me buy you food."

"What is it going to take to get you to leave?" Nina didn't want to know the answer. It's why she had avoided asking it. Happy ran his hand over his head and scratched at the base of his neck. "You don't even know what you want, do you? This is just some game to you. It always has been."

"Fuck that, Nina. It was never a game with you," Happy snapped, finally showing some anger. He leaned forward and interlaced his fingers behind his head, pulling his neck down towards his knees. "I want you."

Nina opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to say. She wanted to hear him say that years ago. Even when she was packing what few belongings he kept at her place into a couple boxes, she wanted him to fight for her. She wanted him to want her. Not her body, Not her company. Her. Hearing him say it seemed to move something inside her. It felt like a single cogged wheel started turning, sending every attached wheel into motion.

"Don't do this, Happy. Nothing has changed. You're still you and I'm still me. If anything good came out of being with you, it was learning that I deserved better. I didn't deserve to be cheated on, lied to, or hidden away like a leper. I deserve better." It was her last effort, her last defense before falling right back into the chaos that came with him.

"You're right. I treated you like shit," Happy said, standing up. He walked over and stopped in front of her. "Tell me to leave, Nina. I'll leave and you'll never have to see me again."

Nina closed her eyes, searching for the answer to her questions and fears in the darkness. She listened to the silence, hoping for a voice to tell her what to do. Nothing showed up. No whispers were heard. She was on her own and she knew that was a bad idea. She couldn't trust herself, not when it came to him. Without a word, she stood up and walked to the door, intending to tell him to leave again. He walked towards her, his dark eyes locked on her caramel eyes.

"Where are we going to eat?" She asked, betraying all logic and good sense. The corners of his mouth pricked up slightly. "Don't forget, you're buying."

* * *

Nina followed Happy into a local burrito shop, still kicking herself for agreeing to eat with him. It felt like the reaper on his back was glaring right at her. A few restaurant goers gave them sideways glances as they stepped up to the counter. Happy didn't seem to care. He ordered his food and stepped towards the cashier, waiting for her to order. She ordered her usual, a small burrito with lime-chili chicken. He paid as she carried their food to a corner table.

"How's your Mom?" Nina asked, uncomfortable with the silence between them. Happy shook his head and continued eating. It took her a moment to realize what he was saying. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," he said. She knew he wouldn't want to talk about it. He was close to his mother and had done everything he could to pay for the care and treatments that she needed. She was the only person that knew about their relationship, even though Nina never got the chance to meet her. Happy looked up at her and slowly shrugged his shoulders. "Are you going to finish that?"

"What?" She looked down at her half eaten burrito. "Oh, I'll eat the rest for lunch tomorrow. Can I ask you something?" He nodded, so she continued. "How did you find my phone number and my address?"

"Intelligence officer. He hacked your school's employee files or something." Happy was nonchalant about the invasion of privacy and illegal hacking. She wasn't surprised. "You changed your number."

"I did," Nina said with a proud smirk. "I guess I should have moved to."

"Hilarious," he said. "Are you going to give me your new number?"

"Oh, you aren't going to have someone hack my file again?" Nina teased. "You can have my number, Happy. I don't want to rush back into things with you though. I don't trust you."

She watched his shoulders sink and his jaw tighten. It didn't last long but she could tell her words had gotten through to him. Nina waited for him to say something, to tell her to trust him. Instead, he twisted his large reaper ring around his finger and gave her a small nod. She felt a little guilty but she also knew it was important to stand her ground. If she jumped back in blindly, it would be a waste of her time and would only end in more heartache. She had to protect herself until she could trust him.

After dinner, Happy followed Nina back to her apartment. She was prepared to tell him that he couldn't come in, but he didn't even try. He braced his hands on either side of the door frame and looked down at her. Her lips curled into a smile.

"Do you want to kiss me goodnight?" Nina knew the answer. She didn't have to ask. He brought his right hand to the side of her neck, gently pulling her back outside. Her cheeks warmed, as did the rest of her body.

"I'm not letting you go again, Nina." His lips melded with hers effortlessly and she felt a rush of emotions. A strong part of her wanted to deepen the kiss, to pull him inside and let things keep going. She could feel his jeans starting to bulge. She pulled back, against all of her desires. He sighed. "You're serious about taking it slow, huh?"

"Yeah," she said, biting her bottom lip. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and she turned her face into his palm. "Please don't make me regret this."

"I won't." She hoped he was telling the truth. "Are you going to give me your phone number?"

"Does that mean I get yours?" She asked with a little smile as she dug her phone out of her bag. She handed it over.

* * *

Stephanie listened as Nina finally told her about Happy. She had waited several weeks, to make sure she wasn't jumping the gun. In that time, she and Happy had either talked, texted or seen each other every day. Nina knew he was trying. He was putting in effort but she worried it would end after they hooked up a few times. It was one of the reasons she was refusing to give in to what she wanted.

"He sounds like a bad boy," Stephanie laughed. "He rides a Harley and has tattoos?"

"Yeah, he likes to think he is." Nina couldn't tell Stephanie just how right she was. She knew Happy and Stephanie would eventually meet. There would be questions about his kutte and the club. Nina didn't want to face that yet. "Do you think I'm crazy for giving him another chance?"

"I think no two relationships are the same," Stephanie said. "You know him, Nina. Trust your gut."

"It's hard to hear it over other parts," Nina blushed. Stephanie giggled and begged Nina for juicy details. "Maybe some other time. I have to go get ready for the party he's begging me to go to."

Nina ended the call and tossed her phone onto the bed. Happy was going to be there to pick her up for the party in less than two hours. She still needed to decide what she was going to wear and she was getting nervous. When he had suggested she come to a SAMCRO party with him, she jokingly agreed. She didn't realize he was serious until he told her he was going to pick her up instead of her meeting him in Charming.

"Nina?" She heard Happy's voice and started smiling as she stepped into her heels. He walked into her bedroom and looked her up and down with a smirk. "You need to lock your door."

"I knew you were coming over," Nina said, kissing his cheek. "I'm almost ready. Give me ten minutes."

"I can give you more than that, baby." He put his hands on her hips and pulled her close. She bit her lip and looked up into his eyes. With a sigh, he reached into the pocket of his kutte and pulled out an envelope. Her eyes widened. "I heard you, alright?"

"You know this doesn't really mean anything if-"

"I know," he grumbled. "I haven't been. I'm waiting on this little señorita that wanted me to go get my shit checked out before she'd fuck me."

"She said she'd consider fucking you after that." Nina smirked and stepped back from him, placing the envelope on her dresser. It surprised her that he actually got the STD test like she'd asked. She wanted to skip the party and make up for lost time all over her apartment. That smirk on his lips reminded her why she was holding out. He needed to remember that he didn't own her.

"Yeah, right. I see the way you keep looking at me. Same way those greedy little eyes looked at me years ago." Happy said, watching her slide lipstick over her lips. He shook his head. "Why don't you teach tiny kids? Those high school pricks probably jerk off to your yearbook picture at night."

"You're going to be jealous of teenagers now?" She asked, dropping her lipstick in her clutch. "I enjoy literature, not teaching children to read. Go on somewhere so I can finish my makeup."

"Do you need a helmet?" He asked, stepping towards the hall. She shook her head. She had a full-faced helmet that she had bought when she was considering getting her own motorcycle. It never panned out but she kept the helmet anyways. "Hurry up."

"Shut up," Nina quipped back. She watched Happy shake his head before he disappeared down the hallway. Putting the final touches on her eyeliner, she started to realize how her hands were starting to shake from nerves. If she was going to a party at the Charming clubhouse, it was only a matter of time before her father and the rest of his club found out about Happy. Hopefully, they could still keep their history a secret.

"Are you trying to start something?" Happy asked, looking her up and down. She had settled on a white crop top, black leather jacket and tight, black jeans. She wanted to keep it simple but also knew there would be women in far less clothing hanging around everywhere. Nina shook her head and stepped into a pair of black high heels. He got up off the couch and walked over, sliding his hands over her exposed skin. His warm touch gave her goosebumps. "Fuck."

"Maybe later," Nina teased with a little wink. Happy smirked and shook his head. "Weren't you in a hurry?"

"We can skip it," he said, tightening his hold on her waist. Nina pursed her lips and shook her head no. With a frustrated groan, he pulled his hands off of her. "Get your helmet and let's go then."

* * *

**A/N: **I know a few of you have asked for longer chapters and I really am trying. On the bright side, I'm almost done with the next chapter so you won't have to wait long. Thank you again for your reviews/follows/favorites/DM's. You all are the best.


	5. Whiskey Sour

**Chapter 5**

**Whiskey Sour**

Nina's nerves subsided as they rode towards Charming. She missed riding motorcycles, even as a passenger. The wind rushing around her body made it feel like she was flying, like she was weightless. Happy didn't take it easy. He leaned hard and rode fast, confident that she would hold on to him like she had in the past. The normal forty-five minute ride felt like it only took about ten minutes. She was still grinning as she pulled her helmet off on the lot of Teller-Morrow Automotive.

"You like that?" Happy asked, placing her helmet on his seat. She nodded and shook out her hair. "You still look perfect, stop fussing."

"Was that a compliment?" Nina asked. He shrugged and snaked his hand around to her lower back. It reminded her of the way Anthony had guided her into the party at the warehouse in Stockton. Where he had been timid and barely touched her, Happy's finger's gripped her slightly. She tensed with nerves as they got closer to the clubhouse doors and Happy rubbed his thumb over her skin soothingly. The door opened and she realized the first party she'd gone to had be relatively calm.

"Whiskey sour?" Happy asked over the music. Nina nodded, sticking close to him. She felt out of place, like a sheep walking into a lion's den. They walked to the bar and a scrawny prospect with dark hair rushed over. "My usual and a whiskey sour."

"Who's your friend?" The prospect asked, reaching behind him for a bottle of whiskey.

"Nina," she answered for herself. Happy glanced over at her but didn't say anything. She knew he would have told the prospect to mind his business in no uncertain terms. "What's your name?"

"Everybody calls me Rat," he said. He handed Happy his beer before finishing her whiskey sour. "You new around here?"

"She's with me," Happy growled. Nina didn't butt in. She had been around the Mayans long enough to know how things worked in their worlds. Rat's question wasn't just conversation, he was asking if she was there for their entertainment. Happy's word was final, no other member or prospect could push up on her. If she hadn't been familiar with the lingo and the 'club ways' she may have been offended by Happy's possessive statement. Instead, she relaxed knowing she wasn't going to spend the night fighting off hungry bikers. Rat smiled at her politely and handed her drink over with a little umbrella. "Where the fuck did you get those damn things?"

"I don't know. Chucky brought a case of them in. They're cute." The prospect seemed to regret his words immediately. He shared an awkward look with Happy, then hurried to the other end of the bar to help a woman with some more drinks. Nina laughed quietly and followed Happy towards a set of couches. She took long sips of her drink, needing a little social lubricant.

"What do you think?" Happy asked, pulling her onto his lap. She looked around at the chaos around her. There were women grinding on stripper poles and dancing up on men. The music was so loud she could feel the bass in her chest.

"It's crazy," Nina smiled. "I like it."

Happy smiled and drank his beer as Nina finished her drink. His free hand was on her upper thigh. She sat her glass down on the coffee table and let him pull the beer bottle away from his lips before she kissed him. He brought his hand up from her thigh to the back of her neck. She deepened the kiss, pushing her tongue into his mouth. He tasted like beer and mint. Before she realized what she was doing, she moved to straddle him. His hand slid underneath her bra and he palmed her breast.

"The fuck do you want, Tig?" Happy growled after Nina pulled away from him. She spun off his lap and sat beside him, trying to catch her breath and get a grip on her hormones. Tig had tapped her on the shoulder and brought their make-out session to an abrupt halt. She had seen him at the other party and a couple times at her father's clubhouse in Oakland. She never spoke to him.

"Who's the chica? Looks familiar," Tig said. Nina bit her bottom lip, nervous about the man finding out who she was. She stayed quiet, letting Happy handle it.

"This is Nina. Nina, this is Tig. You good now? Fucking cock blocker," Happy growled. Tig's light blue eyes flashed.

"Nina? Nina Alvarez?" Tig asked. Her chest tightened and she leaned closer to Happy. "Shit, bro. There's a lot less complicated pussy all over the clubhouse."

"Shut the fuck up, Tig," Happy said, pausing as he took a drink. "Don't worry about who she is."

"A'ight man, a'ight." Tig backed away and put his hands up in surrender. Nina swallowed hard, feeling her nerves build up again. Happy leaned forward and sat his empty beer bottle next to her glass. She stood as he pulled her up off the couch.

"Hey, get me a whiskey sour," Happy said to a passing woman. She turned and narrowed her eyes at Nina. Happy nodded towards the bar, "now."

"Maybe I shouldn't be here," Nina said. Happy silenced her with a hard kiss. She bent back, trying to continue voicing her concerns. He growled and settled for assaulting her neck as she spoke, "No one is going to want me here once they know who I am. We can just go back to my place. Hap, don't mark me. I work in a school."

"Nina, relax." Happy nipped her neck. "They'll be fine. You'll be fine. Just have fun."

She took the drink from the glaring woman Happy had ordered to the bar and downed it in two gulps. Happy smirked and took the glass, passing it off to a random passerby. He continued to kiss her neck. Her hips started swaying with the music as the drink hit her bloodstream.

"You good now?" Happy asked, kissing her before she could answer. She nodded when he pulled back. "Good. Come on."

Nina followed him over to a crowded pool table. Several Sons were standing around as Tig played against another man with deep facial scars and salt and pepper hair. Happy nodded to Jax Teller, who Nina had met on a couple occasions. She felt a little nervous but he just lifted his beer in a silent welcome. He didn't seem bothered that she was there, despite knowing exactly who she was. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least Happy's family wasn't against them being together. They could face her family issues some other time.

After another drink, Nina cut herself off. She was past the tipsy point and knew Happy would never let her ride back home if she was drunk. The last thing she wanted to do was sleep in one of the dorms or on one of the couches. She imagined some of the women at the party on those beds and couches and it made her stomach churn. It was a good thing Happy listened to her and took the STD test or else he definitely wouldn't be getting any after she saw who he'd been using to fulfill his needs.

Eventually, Happy gave her a little space. He played the winner of the last game of pool and she struck up a conversation with Jax's old lady, Tara. She was the first woman in the whole clubhouse to talk to her and she seemed genuinely nice. Nina was surprised to learn that she was a surgeon. For some reason, she thought she would be a house wife. It gave her hope that not all club affiliated men wanted their women barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen all the time.

"You ready to go?" Happy asked as the party started looking more like a bunch of people having sex in the same room. Nina nodded and said goodbye to Tara. Happy gave her a nod as he put his arm around Nina. "Later, doc."

* * *

Nina's mind wouldn't shut off. Despite the open road and cool, refreshing air, she worried about what was coming next. She knew he was expecting sex and a big part of her wanted that to. However, she was still nervous. Once they crossed that line, he would either leave or consider them officially back together. She wasn't sure which scared her more. By the time he parked the bike in front of her apartment, her nerves had all but sobered her.

"Was it as bad as you thought?" Happy asked as they walked inside. Nina shrugged but didn't say anything. She put her helmet in the front closet and stepped out of her shoes. Happy watched her curiously. "You good?"

"Yeah," Nina said quietly. "Do you want a beer or anything?"

"Sure," he said, still watching her. When they were together, he could always tell when something was bothering her. She opened a couple beers and brought them back into the living room, hoping a little more alcohol would calm her down. "Why are you nervous?"

Nina took a drink to avoid answering right away. It was a simple question but the answer was anything but. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and push him away but she didn't want to brush off what she was feeling either. He downed half his beer in a single drink and leaned back, waiting for her to answer. She picked at the label on the beer bottle as she worked through what to say.

"What are we doing?" Nina asked, knowing he wouldn't answer. "I don't know what's going to happen next. You could easily fuck me and leave me."

"Is that what you want?" He asked. She shook her head. "Okay, then I won't."

"I was talking about leaving as in breaking things off again," Nina said. He nodded, so she continued. "I haven't dated anyone for longer than a couple months since we broke up."

"You're the last woman I haven't fucked and left," Happy said, testing the waters with a little smirk. Nina's shoulders moved with a silent laugh. "I wouldn't bring you to the clubhouse if I wasn't trying to make this work."

"Did you tell Jax?" Nina had wondered since seeing the new club president's reaction to her presence at the party. He nodded. "Everything?"

"What he needed to know," he said. Nina nodded and finished her beer. She felt a little more confident in her decision to start trusting him again. If he went as far as telling his club president about her it meant he wasn't planning on treating her like some club pussy. She took his beer and sat it on the coffee table. He stood up, taking her outstretched hand. They walked down the hallway and into her bedroom. "Let me see you."

Nina bit her bottom lip and slowly peeled her leather jacket off as he watched. He shrugged his kutte off, folded it and laid it on her dresser before sitting on the end of her bed. Her bottom lip sprang free from her teeth as she smiled. His dark eyes were focused on her every move, watching her fingers undo the button of her jeans and slowly pull the zipper down. She rolled her hips as she pushed the jeans down her legs. His tongue traced his bottom lip slowly.

"Damnit, baby," he groaned as she walked to him in nothing but a small black thong. His hands found her hips and followed her curve of her body back to her ass. She smiled and squatted down just enough to pull the bottom of his shirt up and over his head. He took his hands off her body for a split second, tossing the shirt away. Nina looked over the tattoos on his torso and arms, wondering how many he'd gotten since she last saw him shirtless.

Nina pushed his back onto her bed, exerting what control she had over him for the moment. He wouldn't let her have control for long, so she was taking advantage of the opportunity. She laid on top of him, her breasts pressed against his chest. He tried to kiss her but she dodged it, biting at his neck instead. He turned his head, giving her more access as his right hand slid beneath the lacy black fabric of her thong. She moaned at his touch.

"Harder, baby," she panted, almost past the initial discomfort from her body adjusting to his size. He did as she said without question. Her nails gripped at his back, leaving scratches with every thrust. She knew he liked it and he knew exactly what she wanted. She arched her back as his teeth sank into the fleshy mound of her breast. He knew just how much pain she wanted and gave it to her without hurting her. No one knew how to make her feel the way he made her feel. No one wanted to cross those invisible lines. They treated her like she was a fragile doll. He treated her like a woman.

* * *

Nina groaned and rolled over to silence her phone. She and Happy had gotten in late and spent a couple hours making up for lost time. She had planned to spend her Sunday morning sleeping in. The phone started ringing again, causing Happy to roll over with a grunt. He nudged her and grumbled about answering the phone.

"Hello?" Nina whined, knowing she was going to have a hard time getting back to sleep if it was a long phone call. She sat up as soon as she heard Stephanie crying. "Steph, what's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Nina. Please," Stephanie sobbed. Happy looked up as Nina rushed out of the bed and scrambled for some clothes. Nina begged Stephanie to take a breath and tell her what happened. "He...he..."

"He what? Did he hurt you?" Nina jumped into a pair of joggers and blindly grabbed a T-shirt out of her drawer. Happy got out of bed and started getting dressed. "Steph, slow down. Are you okay?"

"No. Please, don't call the police. Please," Stephanie sobbed. "Can you come over? Please? I'm sorry."

"Take a breath and calm down for the baby, okay? I'll be there in ten minutes," Nina said, shoving her feet into tennis shoes. She ended the call and grabbed her car keys. "You don't have to come with me, Hap. Go back to sleep."

"No," he said, pulling his kutte on. She wasn't going to argue with him. If he thought she was going into any kind of danger, he'd never just crawl back in her bed. "I'll follow you."

Nina ran two stoplights on her way to Stephanie's house. She bolted out of her car, not even bothering with closing her door. Happy pulled into the driveway right behind her. Nina tried the door and found it locked. She started looking for a hidden key as she banged on the door. Happy moved her out of the way and picked the lock quickly. They followed the sounds of Stephanie's sobs.

"Steph!" Nina slid across the wood floor to her best friend's crumpled form. Her nose was bloodied and her eye was black. The heels of her hands were scuffed and bruised. "What happened?"

"I found messages on his phone," Stephanie sobbed a couple times before continuing, "he's been seeing someone else. I called him out on it and he flipped out."

"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Nina asked, rubbing her shoulder. Stephanie shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm just so scared," Stephanie sniffled. "Oh, no, I'm sorry! I forgot you were going to the party and everything. I interrupted you."

"It's okay," Happy said, startling both women. Stephanie looked over at him for the first time and then back at Nina. "You should go to the hospital."

"They'll ask questions," she whispered. Happy shrugged her concern off. "I'm Stephanie."

"Happy," he said flatly. Nina gave him a small smile. The three of them went back and forth about going to the hospital for several minutes. Suddenly, Happy turned towards the front door. "Stay in here."

Nina heard a car door close as Happy walked away. Her heart raced and Stephanie started to cry again. Nina tried to comfort her, hoping that Happy wasn't killing her best friend's husband in the driveway. The minutes passing by felt like hours. Finally, Happy walked back inside. Nina tried to read his expression for some hint of what had gone down outside but his face was stone.

"Did he leave?" Stephanie asked, her voice sounded like a squeak. Happy nodded. She looked over at Nina and took a deep breath. "Will you take me to the hospital? I just want to make sure the baby is okay."

"Yeah, of course. Go put some clothes on and we'll go," Nina said, helping her off the floor. She turned to Happy after Stephanie was upstairs. "What happened outside?"

"Told him to leave and cool off," Happy shrugged. Nina narrowed her eyes at him. "I didn't use those words but he's fine."

"Do you need to get back to Charming?" Nina asked. He shook his head and pulled her to him. She tilted her face up and welcomed a kiss from him. "You don't have to go to the hospital."

"I'll make sure you get there alright and go back to your place. I didn't sleep much," he said with a yawn.

"Okay," Nina agreed, "stay and sleep as long as you want. I'll call you when I head back."

"Alright. If I leave, I'll let you know." He kissed her again before Stephanie came down the stairs. Nina never would have imagined her day starting the way it did but she was glad Happy had been there. If Stephanie's husband had done that to her, there was no telling what he would have done to Nina

* * *

**A/N: **Here it is, the promised follow up to the last chapter. What did you think? I hope I didn't miss too many errors, I was in a hurry and am writing on my tablet so I don't have my normal software for proofreading. Again, thank you for spending your time reading my story!


	6. Hurt

**Just a reminder, italics represent flashbacks :) **

**Chapter 6**

**Hurt**

Nina flipped through a magazine as she waited for Stephanie. The emergency room doctor checked her out and gave her a clean bill of health but Stephanie was waiting for the baby's all clear from her OBGYN.

Nina reached the end of the magazine and decided to give in to her hunger. She didn't want to pay for overpriced cafeteria food, so she headed down the hall to find a vending machine. It didn't take long to find a machine but she was torn on what to get. Considering it was her breakfast, Nina didn't necessarily want potato chips. She finally settled on a bag of trail mix and a bottle of orange juice.

"Nina?" She turned from the machine and saw Casey and Jose walking towards her. She was thankful that Happy decided to go back to her apartment. "What are you wearing?"

"I was in a hurry," Nina said. She was surprised Casey's first question wasn't 'why are you at the hospital'. "My friend got hurt so I just pulled something on."

"Your friend?" Jose spat. Nina furrowed her brow both angered and confused by his tone.

"Why are you even in Stockton?" Nina countered, considering her question more valid. Neither of them looked injured and it didn't make sense for Casey to see an OBGYN outside of Oakland.

"My grandmother had a stroke," Casey said. She folded her arms across her chest and curled her upper lip. "How could you?"

"How could I what?" Nina spat, too tired and hungry to keep her temper in check. She was minding her own business and waiting on her best friend. "What?!"

"If you had a fucking bra on I would cut that off and burn it right here." Jose growled. Nina jerked her head back, shocked by his threat. Realization washed over. She had been slacking on laundry again. Part of her plan for that day had been washing clothes but when Stephanie called, she just grabbed whatever she could find. She was back to the bottom of her t-shirt drawer. She was back in Happy's black 'Reaper Crew' t-shirt. There was no denying it was a Son's shirt. One couldn't just go to the mall and buy that shirt.

"There's a truce," Nina said. She was scrambling for the right words. She couldn't brush it off and say it was an old shirt. That would just make matters worse. She decided the less she said, the better off she would be. "I've got to go. They're probably releasing my friend any minute."

Nina's back slammed into the vending machine. Jose's forearm was at the base of her throat, pinning her against the machine. She clawed at his arm and struggled to free herself. He put more pressure on his arm, nearly cutting off her airway. She got desperate and started kicking out, finally making contact with his shin. He hissed and jumped back, smacking the back of his hand across her cheek. A ring cut into her skin.

"Nina!" Stephanie yelled, hurrying towards her. "Get away from her! Stop! Leave her alone!"

"Stupid bitch," Jose spat at her in Spanish. He grabbed Casey's wrist and they hurried away. Nina slid to the ground. Her heart was racing and warm blood coated her fingers as she touched them to her cheek. Stephanie dropped to her knees and yelled for security.

"Stop. Hush," Nina winced. Stephanie's eyes were wide and she was obviously terrified. Nina assumed she thought Jose was robbing her or something. She honestly wished that had been the case. "I'm fine. Let's go."

"What are you talking about? You're bleeding and that man and woman just ran off," Stephanie said. Nina shook her head and pushed herself up off the floor. The blood on her hand mixed with her spilt orange juice. Stephanie offered her a hand.

"Let's go, okay? I'll explain everything in the car," Nina said. Stephanie hesitated and looked down the hall that Jose and Casey had walked down. "I know them. Please, Steph."

When they got into the car, Nina explained who Jose and Casey were. She didn't go into any detail but she told Stephanie about the Mayans and the Sons of Anarchy. Nina also told her best friend about the hatred between the clubs. It was a conversation she assumed would happen at some point but she never imagined it would happen like that. She just thought Stephanie would eventually ask about Happy's kutte.

"So, when you asked me about the Capulet and Montague situation, this was why?" Stephanie's question was obviously rhetorical but Nina nodded. "Oh, Nina. I'm sorry."

"What? What do you have to apologize for?" Nina asked, pulling into Stephanie's driveway.

"It's my fault you were at the hospital. I could have called you calmly and given you time to get dressed or something. I'm sorry." Stephanie's bottom lip started trembling. Nina sighed and closed her eyes, refusing to cry.

"Nothing that happened today was your fault, Steph. Do you hear me? Nothing. You didn't beat yourself up. You didn't dress me. You didn't drag me to the hospital. You did nothing wrong." Nina's voice nearly broke at the end. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No, it's okay. I called my mother. I'm going to stay with them for a couple days," Stephanie said. "I'm just going to pack a bag. They're already on the way. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"No. I'll be fine." Nina took a deep breath and mustered every bit of strength she had to give Stephanie a smile. She was already thinking three steps ahead. Happy was going to explode when he saw her face. He would call her stupid for wearing the shirt. He would lash out and do something stupid like shoot Jose. The truce would end and it would be her fault. Her father would blame her and every drop of blood shed between the clubs would be her fault.

* * *

Nina pulled her car into a gas station parking lot and let herself cry. The salty tears hit the cut on her cheek and stung sharply. Her chest shook with sobs as she dug her phone out of her bag. She tried to call Happy. His name was on the screen. She was going to call him and break things off. She was going to stop the ball of destruction before it ever started rolling. Her eyes closed tightly and she waited for him to answer.

"Hey, is Stephanie okay?" Happy asked with a yawn. Nina's resolve crumbled and a sob escaped her lips. "Nina, what happened?"

"She's good. She's okay," Nina said. Her chest shook with sobs. She couldn't do it. "I'm almost home."

"What? Why are you crying?" He asked. She shook her head and pulled back onto the road. "Nina, stop driving before you wreck. Nina!"

She ended the call and tried to calm down. He was older now. He wouldn't be as trigger happy and reactive as he was before. He matured. He wouldn't over react to what had happened at the hospital. He would be mad but he wouldn't do anything stupid. She almost convinced herself of all those things, but then she pulled into her parking spot.

"Why the fuck did you hang up on me?" Happy yelled, jerking her car door open. She flinched before she could stop herself. She closed her eyes, kicking herself for being so jumpy. She had no reason to be afraid of him. He had never given her a single one. No matter how much they ever argued, he never moved to hurt her and she had just flinched. He wouldn't have missed it. "Nina?"

"Please don't freak out," Nina pleaded. Happy took a step back, giving her room to get out of the car. She filled her lungs and unbuckled her seat belt. He took another step back. Nina stepped out of the car and looked up at him. She had not looked at her cheek but from the pain and his expression, she knew it wasn't pretty. "Let's go inside."

"Who hurt you?" Happy asked, ignoring her suggestion. She shook her head and bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Tell me who hurt you, Nina."

"We need to go inside. I have nosey neighbors, Happy." Nina was relieved when he followed her up the stairs and into her apartment. He locked the door before joining her in the bathroom. She was dabbing antiseptic gel on her cut when he walked in. "Promise me you won't do anything after I tell you what happened."

"No," he said. Nina watched him sift through her first aid kit and pull out a butterfly bandage. He opened the package and carefully applied the bandage to her cut. He scowled at her wince. "Who hurt you?"

"I ran into my sister-in-law and her boyfriend at the hospital." She paused, considering her choice of words. Typically in-laws were married to siblings, not widowed and dating someone else. Happy didn't seem to question what she said, so she continued. "He saw what I was wearing and flipped out."

"He's a Mayan?" Happy asked, glancing down at her chest to see his old shirt. She wondered if he remembered letting her wear it. She nodded. "Tell me exactly what he did."

"He, um, shoved me against a vending machine and pinned me there with his arm. I tried to get away and kicked his shin. Then he backhanded me." Nina's eyes teared up again. "Stephanie showed up and they left."

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Happy asked. She shook her head. He nodded slowly and Nina knew he was considering his next move. Happy was opening his mouth to say something when her phone started ringing. He picked it up off the counter and looked down at the screen. "It's your dad."

"What do you want me to do?" Nina knew her father would need to know about their relationship eventually but she had hoped to see if it was going to work out first. She didn't want to upset him unnecessarily. Things had been going well but it was still early. She was enjoying things being simple.

"Hello?" Her heart leapt into her throat when he answered her phone. His voice was unmistakable. Her father would know exactly who had just answered her phone. "She's busy cleaning up a cut from one of your guys."

"Stop," Nina sighed. Happy ignored her. She continued listening to his side of the conversation, her imagination filling in her father's side. He finally handed her the phone after growling a few short sentences. "Hey, dad."

"Is that Happy?" She didn't know why he even needed to ask. She said it was. "Are you having sex with him or are you with him?"

"Jesus," she didn't want to talk to him about her relationship or sex life. "I'm with him."

"Come to dinner tomorrow. Alone." He ended the call and she felt somewhat relieved. She wasn't dumb enough to think he was okay with the relationship but the secret was out. They didn't have to hide anymore. All that was left was hoping it didn't end the peace between the clubs.

"You've had that shirt for years." Happy said. Nina cheeks warmed as she shrugged her shoulders. He nodded and walked out of the bathroom. She couldn't tell if he was angry or not.

"Hap?" Nina walked into her bedroom and found him sitting at the end of her bed. He had removed his kutte and laid it on her dresser again. "Are you mad?"

"Am I mad?" He growled. Her shoulders fell. "He hurt you, Nina. Of course I'm mad. I'm trying not to find him and break every bone in his hand and arm."

"I meant," she frowned, "at me."

"No, Nina." He stood up and grabbed her waist, pulling her to the bed with him. "I have to be somewhere at six."

"It's already four," Nina said. He nodded and pulled the shirt she was wearing up and over her head. "Do you have time?"

"Not going far," he said. She assumed he was going to their Stockton warehouse. It wasn't her place to ask questions about his club business, so she let the conversation die. "This okay?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm fine." Nina appreciated his concern. He shook his head and ran his fingers over her chest. It was tender. He brought his hand up to her neck and slowly lowered her back down onto the bed.

* * *

Nina slowly emptied her lungs of the deep breath she had taken before getting out of the car. Her father's motorcycle was parked in its usual spot and it made her stomach tighten. Since Happy left the night before, Nina had worried about the conversation she was going to have with her father. She knew he was going to be much less accepting of their relationship than Happy's fellow club members. With another deep breath in, she opened the front door and entered the house.

"You're alone," her father said, standing up from the couch. She nodded, keeping her sarcastic comment to herself. His expression darkened as he approached her. "Jose did this?"

"Yes." She didn't offer an explanation. Nina could understand Jose being angry about her wearing another club's shirt but it didn't excuse his actions. No matter her family ties to the Mayans, she wasn't a member. She never took an oath to her father's club nor swore allegiance against the Sons of Anarchy.

"You were wearing Happy's shirt in public?" He asked. Nina clinched her teeth and nodded. "Why?"

"I grabbed the first shirt I could find when my friend called me with an emergency." Nina's nerves started to subside.

"How long have you been with Happy?" She took her time answering his question. Lying wasn't something she enjoyed, nor was it something she was particularly good at.

"Not long," Nina said. Her father shook his head slowly and folded his arms across his chest. "I am sorry you found out the way you did. I was planning on telling you soon."

Rose called her daughter and husband to the table for dinner, interrupting their conversation. Nina appreciated the break but her father looked irritated. She knew that wasn't the end of their discussion. Pausing things was either going to give him time to cool off or time to get angrier. She wasn't going to get her hopes up.

During dinner, the three of them interacted like any normal family would. Her mother asked what was new at work, how her friends were and if she needed any groceries from Costco. Her father was quiet but he spoke when spoken to. Nina's mother wouldn't have tolerated anything less. She took family dinners seriously and always insisted that club business and drama stay out of the dining room. Nina remembered Rose telling her father that he was the boss at his table and she was the boss at their's.

"Do you need help cleaning up, Mom?" Nina asked, hoping to continue putting off part two of her conversation with her father. Rose shook her head and gathered the plates.

"No, Nina. I believe your father wants to continue discussing the company you keep," she said. Nina should have known that her mother wasn't in the dark. She hadn't asked a single question about the bruising on Nina's face.

"I have made my decision," her father said as Nina sat down on the couch. She narrowed her eyes, annoyed that he felt that he had any choice in the matter.

"A decision about what? I'm an adult. I am not in the club. Who I choose to date isn't up for debate," Nina's mouth got ahead of her and Marcus seemed pissed. He leaned forward in his chair and pointed a stern finger at her.

"You are my daughter. You may not wear a kutte but you are a part of this family. You would be a valuable source of information for the Sons." Nina's temper flared again but Marcus continued before she had a chance to argue. "You need to stop seeing Happy."

"That isn't your decision to make," Nina snapped. "I care about him."

"You are too smart to think that man would want you for anything more than intel on our club," Marcus said. "You think this peace can last forever? He won't hesitate to use you as soon as the opportunity presents itself."

"You know nothing. He has never once asked about your precious club, not now or before." Nina didn't realize what she had said before it was too late. She saw her words registering with him. His expression changed from annoyed to furious in an instant. He stood up.

"What do you mean, before? How long have lying to me?" Nina recoiled from her father. She had seen him this angry a few times but it had never been directed at her. "Nina Marie answer me."

"No. I don't have to report to you like some foot soldier. Who I choose to spend time with is none of your business or the club's business. Thank you for dinner." Nina had found her backbone again but didn't know how long it would last. She grabbed her bag and saw herself out.

Nina managed to make it home before she started worrying about her argument with her mother. She wished their father-daughter disagreement could play out like normal families. They would go a while without talking, maybe until the next holiday, then they would eventually apologize. That's how she imagined most family arguments to go. Most people didn't have to worry about diplomacy between motorcycle clubs. Nina knew he saw her choice to date Happy as her choosing sides in some cold war.

* * *

Nina was relieved to see the school year come to a close. She was finding it harder and harder to focus on her students with the drama going on in her personal life. The kids deserved better. She hoped that her life would be less complicated by the beginning of the next school year.

"Need some help?" She looked up from the drawer she was cleaning out to find Happy standing in her doorway. It was the first time he had stepped foot in the school, despite picking her up from work on a few occasions. It amused her to see him inside of a high school.

"If you want to start taking posters down that would be great. I just have two more drawers to clean out," Nina said. He nodded and walked inside the classroom. She watched him pull the posters down and carefully roll them up. "I didn't think I would see you until tonight."

"Yeah." He didn't comment further. Her gut told her something was wrong but if he wasn't in a hurry to tell her, she wasn't going to push him. She wanted to get her things together and start her two months of vacation. When she needed to know what was bothering him, he would tell her.

Forty minutes later, they were walking into her apartment. Happy was keeping his right hand free and close to the pistol in his waistband. He walked through the apartment before returning to a scowling Nina in the living room. She folded her arms across her chest and stared him down.

"You're coming back to Charming with me," he said. Nina's brow raised. "Go pack some clothes."

"I might after you tell me why you need me to go to Charming," Nina stated firmly. Happy rolled his eyes and walked down the hallway towards her bedroom. She heard her closet door open and stormed after him. He had her largest suitcase on the bed and was pulling clothes out of the closet. "Happy! What are you doing?"

"Packing your shit," he said, tossing a pair of jeans into the suitcase. She snatched them back out and folded them neatly. "Opie is dead."

"What?" Nina coughed, choking on the news. He sat down on the end of her bed and let his elbows fall to his knees. She didn't know what to say. Instead of fumbling for words, she started packing more clothes. He held his head in his hands and stared at his boots. Before moving to her dresser for some t-shirts and underwear, she knelt down in front of him. He looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Happy."

"You didn't do it. I just need you close and safe." He tipped his head towards her suitcase. "Finish getting packed. I want to be at the clubhouse before nightfall."

"Alright," she pressed her lips to the top of his head as she stood back up. There were questions sprinting through her mind but they could wait. If he was worried about her then she could ask her questions later.

Happy carried Nina's suitcase down to her car and gave her specific instructions to follow him. When he told her to continue on to the clubhouse no matter what happened, she felt sick. He didn't spare much time comforting her aside from a quick hug. Nina's head was on swivel as they drove towards Charming. Every motorcycle and every dark colored car made her squeeze the steering wheel a little tighter. She tried to tell herself she was overreacting. She even criticized herself for being afraid of dark cars. It wasn't a movie. Any car could be the enemy. That only made her feel worse.

"Hey, are you alright?" Happy asked, opening her car door. She was still staring back towards the armed men at the gate she had driven through. He reached into her car and unbuckled her seat belt. "Rat! Come get her suitcase out of the car and take it to my room."

"I can get it," Nina stammered. Happy shook his head and stepped back as she climbed out of the car. "Is it okay that I'm here?"

"Of course it is," Happy said. Nina followed him into the clubhouse. There were members, old ladies and other women everywhere. She saw a couple kids crying in the corner with Tara and a blonde woman she'd seen in passing at the last party. Nina bit her bottom lip. She felt like she was intruding on a very devastating and very private time for everyone else in the building. Happy led her through the main room and down a hallway. She noticed her suitcase sitting in front of a door.

"We're staying in here." Happy opened the door and let Nina walk inside ahead of him. She looked up at the walls that were plastered with posters of half naked women and paper shooting targets. The layout of the room reminded her of the dorm she stayed in as a college freshman. Luckily, the bed wasn't an extra-long twin. She looked back as Happy closed the door. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm scared and I feel out of place. Everyone is hurting and I'm just some stranger. I don't even know how to help you." Nina stopped rambling when his hands found her hips.

"I'm not going to let anything hurt you, Nina." Happy kissed her and her hands came up to the front of his kutte. "You aren't a stranger. You're my girl."

"Are you going to tell me anything about what happened or what's going on?" Nina did her best to keep her tone soft. She didn't want to sound like she was accusing him of hiding things. He closed his eyes and put his lips to her forehead. "You don't have to."

"Not tonight, alright?" Happy muttered. Nina nodded. After knowing him for years, she still knew nothing about how he processed sadness or pain. The only time she remembered him being sad was after a doctor's appointment with his mother.

_Nina jumped at the sound of her front door hitting the wall. She scrambled out of her bed with one hand clutching her revolver and one hand holding her robe closed. Her heart raced as the bedroom door flew open. Happy disarmed her before her mind had time to register who had walked into her room. He slammed his mouth onto her lips and pulled at her robed._

_"__Happy, hold on. What's going on?" Nina tried to push him back as his hands fumbled with her bra strap. His mouth was assaulting her neck so roughly that the usual pleasure wasn't there. It felt like his short beard was rubbing her skin raw and his teeth sunk too deep. "You're hurting me."_

_"__Relax," he snapped. Nina brought her hand up to the bottom of his jaw and shoved his head away from her neck. He glared at her and shoved her hand off of his neck. "Fucking waste of time."_

_"__Excuse me? I haven't seen or heard from you in almost two weeks. You can't just break in and take what you want. If you think I'm a waste of time then get the fuck out of my apartment." Nina watched his expression soften. She wasn't expecting that. Normally their arguments ramped up whenever she raised her voice at him. His body shook with what she thought was a silent sob. It terrified her. She had never seen him come anywhere close to crying. "Happy. What's wrong?"_

_"__Shit I can't fix," he said, sitting on the end of her bed. "I don't want to talk about it, Nina."_

_Nina tied her robe closed and picked her revolver up off the dresser. She returned it to the nightstand and climbed back into bed. Happy didn't move from the foot of the bed for several minutes. She was at a loss as to what was going on with him or how to help him through it. During the year they had been together, she had learned how to deal with his anger and jealousy but this was something new._

_"__She's not going to get better." Happy finally said as he shrugged his kutte off. She stayed quiet, worried that anything she said would stop him from opening up. "Her cancer is spreading and they can't stop it. I don't know what to do."_

_"__Happy," Nina whispered, caressing his head as he pressed his face against her chest. She was expecting him to cry but the tears never came. He just laid with her quietly until he fell asleep._

* * *

**A/N: **So? What do you think? I'm still blown away by how many people are reading this story. Thank You!


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